Sooo, today the world ‘lost’ Robin Williams. While this is sad news, death always is a loss… whether a rich and famous actor or the poor who die in multitudes around the earth daily. However, we seem very unmoved by the fate of Jews, Christians, and the beautiful men, women, and children in Iraq who are being slaughtered daily. Or for that matter that Ukraine, Central African Repulic, Libya, Iraq, and Palestine/Israel have each lost considerably more than 1,000 people in armed conflicts this year alone, just to name a few. The plethora of facebook messages and tweets concerning Robin Williams death, in contrast to the lack of comment on the situations of extreme injustice, genocide, and mass murder around the world, really reveals what saddens us… the loss of things/people/or opportunities that entertain us. What is media-worthy and news-worthy often is focused upon what entertains us.
In today’s world, especially here in the U.S, it seems very evident that we are often a people who are seeking to be continually stimulated and entertained. The amount of images, noises, stimuli we have in our lives nowadays really battles any concept of rest, sabbath, meditation, and reflection. Even for some Christians it seems that we have gotten caught up in the way of the world. It is a sad truth that many people professing to be Christian know less about the Bible, a committed devotional life with Jesus, ways to serve the needy, or of the many armed conflicts and injustice around the world than they do of the movies and shows Robin Williams has played in, and the specific quotes and lines he has had. Are we over-entertained?
It is a sad world to me when we find ourselves more saddened by the loss of an actor… a person paid a ridiculous amount of money to entertain people by pretending to be a person other than themselves, than for any of the many horrific scenarios that are real and taking place in our own country and around the world every day. In this world there are more than 158 million children who are orphaned, and an even greater number of children around the world who are homeless and fighting to survive each day. The amount of money we spend in the U.S. alone to be entertained (in such a non-stop, multi-faceted way) would be more than sufficient to end homelessness worldwide for these children. Yet we seem very unmoved and inactive to be saddened and involved in situations of grave and desperate need throughout the world.
It is sad that Robin Williams has passed away; that he lived in such a culture where he could have so much freedom, fame, fortune and yet be so depressed and empty to despair of life. I am saddened for the loss of his life. However, I am also deeply saddened and moved by the state of the world we live in, and the need of so many men, women, and children worldwide. It is my hope that I will become less entertained and more involved in things of significance… seeing others lives changed for the glory of God. Are we over-entertained? Are we willing to let God move our hearts, minds, and focus onto things of greater value than momentary entertainment? Start in me, God! Help me to lay down my desire to be entertained, and to engage Your heart; which is saddened for the needs of the earth to which I have turned a blind eye. Forgive me, Lord, and change me to see what You see, and for my heart to feel and care about what Your heart cares for!
